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Quick answer: Coal tar carries the heavier risk profile. Sodium Aluminum Phosphate is — in the EU and — in the US; Coal tar is banned in the EU and allowed in the US.
| Property | Sodium Aluminum Phosphate | Coal tar |
|---|---|---|
| EU status | — | Banned |
| US status | — | Allowed |
| Risk level | — | high |
| Banned in | — | European Union |
| Restricted in | European Union (restricted in baby food and specific food categories), Australia (restricted levels) | — |
| Category | additive | cmr |
| Where it hides | — | anti-dandruff shampoo, hair dye, psoriasis products |
Sodium aluminum phosphate (SALP) is a leavening acid and food additive used in baked goods, particularly self-rising flour and baking powder. It provides a slow, sustained leavening action during baking. SALP is also used as an emulsifying salt in processed cheese products.
Coal tar is a complex byproduct of coal processing used in dandruff and psoriasis products and dyes.
Sodium Aluminum Phosphate: The primary health concern with SALP is aluminum exposure. Dietary aluminum intake has been studied in relation to neurotoxicity, and there is ongoing scientific debate about whether chronic dietary aluminum exposure contributes to Alzheimer's disease risk. EFSA's 2008 review of dietary aluminum exposure concluded that the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) was being exceeded by some European populations based on total dietary aluminum sources, raising concern. A 2011 EFSA risk assessment noted that certain high-aluminum sources (including baked goods from SALP-containing leavening agents) contributed meaningfully to total dietary aluminum. The WHO has set a PTWI (provisional tolerable weekly intake) of 2 mg/kg body weight/week for total aluminum. However, the causal link between dietary aluminum from food-grade SALP and Alzheimer's disease has not been definitively established in human studies.
Coal tar: A known human carcinogen. Restricted in the EU (banned in hair dye); permitted in US OTC products.
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